Search Results (23)

The level of participation and performance of water user associations (WUAs) in drained and irrigated areas is influenced by many factors. This paper aims to identify the main challenges to the functioning and performance of these associations in Poland and Ukraine using the methodology of international comparative analysis. We examined legal, organizational, and financial framework of WUAs performance in Poland and Ukraine based on selected case study areas. The results of the study indicate that creation of WUAs in both countries can be assessed as beneficial for sustainable water development in general. However, it is found that the actions intended to bring benefits can actually exacerbate the problem of drought and water shortages. Research shows that the lack of complete documentation on the layout of the drainage networks plays a huge constraint factor that can lead to problems with controlling the reconstruction of drainage networks and significant deterioration of water relations. Another significant problem is the restriction of the scope of WUA activities in Poland to those types of actions subsidized by the state, while lacking financial resources for other necessary activities. Full article

Global climate change exacerbates water scarcity, making efficient water use a critical priority worldwide. In Türkiye, agricultural irrigation accounts for a significant share of water consumption, underscoring the need for sustainable management practices. Water users associations (WUAs) play a crucial role in overseeing irrigation schemes and optimizing water use in agriculture. This study assesses the irrigation performance of the Karacabey Water Users Association in Bursa Province using data from 2006 to 2023. Seven key irrigation performance indicators were analyzed, revealing an average irrigation ratio (IR) of 69.02%, irrigation water distributed per unit area (WIRR) of 8602.04 m³ ha⁻¹, and a water supply ratio (RWS) of 1.33. The operation and maintenance cost (WOM) per unit irrigation water was calculated as USD 0.02 m⁻³, while total management, operation, and maintenance costs amounted to USD 0.08 m⁻³. The production value (WP) per unit irrigation water was found to be 0.89. Correlation and regression analyses indicated that WIRR is significantly influenced by indicators related to production, management, and water consumption. The findings highlight the necessity of a comprehensive approach to improving WUA performance, considering multiple performance indicators. To ensure sustainable agricultural water use, adopting advanced irrigation techniques, modernizing infrastructure, and enhancing management strategies are essential. This study provides valuable insights into enhancing irrigation efficiency and sustainability. Full article

Across the world, achieving sustainable water resource development and managing limited natural resources like water have proven to be significant issues, and India is no exception to the same. At present, irrigation consumes about 80 percent of the total available water in India and is predicted to remain the dominant water user. India is already a country with water stress and is on its way to becoming a country with water scarcity. Rising agricultural productivity, expanding urbanisation, growing industrialisation, and accelerating industry create competing demands for water. Most irrigation system issues in India are attributable to poor management of the built infrastructure. The present study aims to rank the irrigation canals based on their efficiencies and inefficiencies to improve the overall performance of WUAs in Jharkhand. The ranking is done for nine irrigation canals based on financial inputs like investments in training and development of WUAs, maintenance and repairs of canals, and outputs like users’ charges collection and yield in crop production. The Comprehensive Efficiency score analysis suggests that while there is room for improvement in the performance, the Water Users’ Associations have generally been successful in improving the technical efficiency of the irrigation system. The findings can be used for further investigation to identify best practises and areas for improvement. Full article

Decisions on irrigation water management are usually made at different levels, including farms, water user associations (WUAs), and regional water planning agencies. The latter generally have good access to information and decision tools regarding water resources management. However, these remain out of reach to the final water users, namely the farmers. The study, conducted in the irrigated district of Cherfech, north Tunisia, had the main objective of investigating farmer’s perceptions of, and acceptance for, the use of an irrigation advisory service (IAS) to be implemented by their WUA. The suggested IAS provides the following information: (1) reference evapotranspiration (ETo) and rainfall; (2) crop water requirement (CWR) of the most cultivated crops; (3) irrigation water requirement (IWR) of the farmer’s crop; and (4) crop monitoring and real-time estimation of IWR of crops settled, using soil moisture sensors. Such services and information would be available at the WUA level and provided in a timely manner to farmers for more effective decision making at the plot level. Prior to the acceptance study, we launched a technical study to determine the required tools and equipment required for the implementation of the IAS, followed by a farmer survey to assess their respective perceptions and acceptance towards this IAS. Results showed that only 54% of the farmers are satisfied by WUAs work, but that 77% of them accepted using the suggested IAS. Farmers are also willing to pay for most of the IAS packages suggested. The financial profitability of investing in the IAS at the WUA level shows the venture is financially viable, with a benefit cost ratio (BCR) of 1.018. The project will be even more profitable if we add the social benefits, which may result in water savings at the WUA level. Full article

Indonesia is likely to face a water crisis due to mismanagement of water resources, inefficient water systems, and weak institutions and regulatory organizations. In 2020, most of the fresh water in Indonesia was used for irrigation (74%) to support the agricultural sector, which occupies 30% of the total land area in Indonesia. Of all agricultural commodities, rice is one of the major and essential commodities, as it is the basic staple food for almost every Indonesian. However, in 2018, the Ministry of Public Works and Housing (MoPWH) reported that 46% of Indonesian irrigation infrastructure is moderately to heavily damaged. Looking at how irrigation can be very crucial to the welfare of Indonesian population, this study conducted an extensive literature review of the historical, current, and future management of irrigated rice production systems in Indonesia. This study has clearly shown that the irrigation systems in Indonesia have existed for thousands of years and, thus, there is a close relationship between irrigation and the socio-cultural life of the Indonesian population. Aside from how climate change influences water availability for irrigation, rice production with a constant water ponding system has been found to contribute to climate change, as it emits methane (CH₄) and other greenhouse gases from agricultural fields of Indonesia. Therefore, the required modernization of irrigation systems in Indonesia needs to consider several factors, such as food demands for the increasing population and the impact of irrigated agriculture on global warming. Multi-stakeholders, such as the government, farmers, water user associations (WUA), and local research institutions, need to work together on the modernization of irrigation systems in Indonesia to meet the increasing food demands of the growing population and to minimize the impacts of agriculture on climate change. Full article

We use household survey data and results from a lab-in-the-field experiment to examine the impact of governance perceptions on the cooperativeness of water users in the maintenance of 19 small-scale irrigation schemes in northern Ghana. Cooperativeness is measured by two indicators, one indicator derived from the experiment and the other obtained from the survey. We distinguish the governance perceptions of users into six main components, and regress the two indicators on these six components. We consistently find for both indicators that cooperativeness is lower when users perceive that their water user association (WUA) is more successful in resolving conflicts. We also find that perceptions of accountability, transparency, and participation in governance jointly affect cooperativeness in a positive way, but collinearity problems refrain us from identifying which component(s) do(es) so. Type of leadership—whether or not the WUA leader was democratically elected—does not have a significant effect on cooperativeness, while having received irrigation-related training positively affects cooperativeness as measured by labor contributions to scheme maintenance. We argue that these novel insights can be of great importance for promoting sustainable management of small-scale irrigation schemes, but needs further research to examine its external validity. Full article

Improving irrigation performance is crucial for increased agricultural productivity. As an indicator of performance, among other factors, improving the water Fees Collection Rate (FCR) is required, but FCR has remained low in most African and Asian countries. In this research, taking the Doho rice scheme in Uganda as a case study, we analyzed the relationship between water sufficiency and FCR. We hypothesized that FCR is influenced by the hydraulic position of the paddy field along the canal. We then used quantitative data for analysis through multiple regression. Later we used qualitative data obtained through interviews for additional explanations of water management activities. As a result, the FCR decreases from upstream to downstream at block, strip, and plot levels; the FCR decreases linearly with an increase in the delivery canal length; the FCR is higher in strips with fewer plots, and FCR is higher within the rotational irrigation blocks. We concluded that inadequate water supply due to high hydraulic positions resulted in low FCR downstream at all the canal levels. To improve FCR, we recommend blending water management activities that secure farmers’ agreement with onsite technical measures to counter the effect of hydraulic positions such as shorter strips and rotational irrigation. Full article

Multioutlet hydrants as joint network infrastructure remain briefly addressed in the literature. Studies have always been limited to the individual treatment of the hydraulic components but not as a whole element. This study presents the main problems in the field of multioutlet hydrants within hydraulic infrastructure for pressure irrigation networks in Mediterranean agriculture. First, a field study with interviews was carried out in 30 water users associations (WUAs) between 2010 and 2018. Following this study, a laboratory test methodology was proposed to characterize this type of hydrant. Subsequently, four laboratory tests were performed on 12 multioutlet hydrants with different and common configurations found in irrigation networks: (i) head losses produced, (ii) global measurement precision in the multioutlet hydrant, (iii) blockage analysis in meters in vertical orientation, and (iv) hydrant behavior in response to hydraulic transients. The tests show that a horizontal configuration of the measuring elements with fewer than ten outlets and a suitable dimensioning of elements improve element maneuverability, instrument metrology, and irrigation emission uniformity. Finally, the importance of adequate design, dimensioning, and maintenance of the multioutlet hydrant devices is evidenced as a key point for the adequate management of collective pressure irrigation networks. Full article

Empirical insights were made into the challenges of supplying water to communities within low-income areas of peri-urban Blantyre, Malawi. A networked public water supply is provided to those without a domestic tap via communal water kiosks managed by community-based Water User Associations (WUAs) under a government mandate. There has been considerable debate surrounding the tariff charged for water supplied to such vulnerable communities. However, research has largely failed to consider the costs of WUAs operating the kiosks and the impact on the kiosk tariff. The determination of kiosk tariffs is critical to ensuring lifeline access to a sustainable water supply under Sustainable Development Goal 6. We provide evidence of this from our experience in the field in Blantyre. In particular, we argue that sustainable kiosk running costs cannot be born solely by the end user. A number of reforms are needed to help reduce the kiosk tariff. To reduce WUA costs and the kiosk tariffs, WUAs need more training in financial record keeping and cost management, WUAs should not inherit outstanding kiosk debt upon taking over their operations, and water boards should build kiosk costs over which they have fiscal responsibility into integrated block tariff calculations and subsidize them accordingly. Full article

Ecuador has historically had a unique experience with water law, management, and policy as a result of its constitutional declaration of water access as a human right. In this paper, the legal, environmental, economic, and social aspects related to water management in Ecuador are analyzed. In doing so, the incorporation of local governance structures such as water users’ associations (WUAs) are characterized within a national model of authorization under SENAGUA, Ecuador’s former water agency, highlighting the importance of integrated management for meeting the country’s geographically and environmentally diverse needs. Additionally, the role of anthropogenic activities such as crude oil production, artisanal and small-scale gold (ASGM) mining, agriculture, sewage discharge, and domestic practices are evaluated in the context of policy implementation and environmental quality concerns. Finally, individual and community-level responses are explored, highlighting the importance of geographically specific perceptions of water rights and quality in the adoption of coping strategies. In these ways, a multi-faceted analysis of Ecuadorian water policy shaped by community-level engagement, geographic diversity, and influential economic sectors is developed. This study highlights the need for increased financial and legislative support around extractive and polluting industries such as agriculture, ASGM, and sewage treatment for long-term safety and sustainability of water access in Ecuador. Additionally, increased efforts to educate industry-specific workers, local management boards, and individuals about potential solutions to water-related challenges will help improve the efficiency of current legislation. Finally, this study underscores a need for additional research related to water quality and sustainability in Ecuador, as well as for the social, economic, and environmentally specific factors that influence water security outcomes in the country. Full article

Agriculture is an activity linked to the environment and has a great influence on climate change. As more and more crops are producing in less time, agricultural production is intensified and water consumption and energy demand is increasing. Since the energy consumed is not renewable, greenhouse gases (GHG) are emitted and their concentration in the atmosphere increases. The objective of this article is to apply various methodologies for the precise quantification of the carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂-eq) and GHG emissions in the management of irrigation water and energy in ten water user’s associations (WUAs) in the southeast of Spain. All the studied WUAs include irrigation facilities. This paper is based on obtained data in different water and energy audits during 2017. The concept of “irrigation water management” considered in the article covers the process from its extraction through management data to its transport and application to crops through irrigation systems, as well as the reception of water. The way in which water and energy is used to irrigate crops is taken into account. Moreover, the type of energy used for irrigation and at what moment energy is demanded influence the total amount of generated GHG emissions. The tariff periods for electricity and the water needs of the crops planted also has to be taken into account, as well as the economic emissions valuation. Full article

This paper reveals reductions of up to 485 t CO₂ eq (CO₂ equivalent) of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of energy origin associated with the water-energy binomial which can be achieved after modernizing and automating a Water User Association (WUA) of over 1780 users with microplots in a total area of 775 ha in southeastern Spain. This case study aims to show how the latest advances in information and communication technologies (ICTs) for precision agriculture are being applied efficiently with the implementation of a Smart Agri system, capable of making improvements through the use of renewable energies (64.49% of the total CO₂e- avoided), automation in irrigation water management, by applying adequate governance, use of ICTs (731,014 m³ per water footprint reduction with 20.41% of total CO₂ eq of associated electrical origin), hydraulic improvements (283,995 m³ per water footprint reduction, 13.77% of the total CO₂ eq of associated electrical origin) and reduction of evaporation in reservoirs (26,022 m³ of water by water footprint reduction with 1.33% of the total CO₂ eq electrical origin avoided) that act as batteries to accumulate the daily solar energy and enable watering at night, when irrigation is most efficient. It is important to consider the valuable contribution of these artificial green lungs, not only in terms of food for the European Union, but also as a CO₂ eq sink that supports the planet’s GHGs. As shown in this study, this is made possible by the joint governance led by the Water Users Association (WUA) and co-led by different management organizations with the support of ICT. Full article

Currently, water users associations (WUAs) in semi-arid areas of southeastern Spain (Murcia region) send a multitude of data supplied by sensors in the field to the cloud. The constant technological revolution offers opportunities for small farms not to be abandoned, thanks to the Internet of Things (IoT). This technology allows them to continue to manage remotely using smartphones/tablets/laptops. This new system contributes to the mitigation of climate change from several aspects: reduction of water footprint and energy consumption (in the pumps that pressurize the grid, such as in the optimization of the proposed solution, by using batteries that communicate in low radiation of electric and magnetic alternating fields (LoRad), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), or narrowband IoT (NB-IoT), or clean energy). The analysis of these data and the incorporation of new IoT technologies facilitate the maintenance of green roofs and ensure the continuity of these farms. The direct benefit obtained is remarkable CO₂ removal that prevents desertification by the abandonment of arable land. This communication shows the implementation of a Smart Agri system in areas with micro-plots (surface less than 0.5 ha) with low-cost technology based on long-range (LoRa) systems, easily maintainable by personnel with basic knowledge of automation, which transforms into a very interesting solution for regions with development roads. In addition, complex orography and difficult access are added in both physical and technological environments. The main technical limitations found in such plots are poor coverage for mobile phones and unworkable and expensive implementation by wiring or WiFi/radio systems. Currently, thanks to the Smart Agri system implemented in this WUA in Murcia, farmers can manage and control the irrigation systems in their plots from home. Then, they cannot lose their crops and respect the isolation conditions imposed by the Spanish government as a result of the alarm caused by COVID-19. Full article

Benchmarking techniques are useful and simple tools to analyze the performance of the collective irrigation in the Water User Associations (WUAs) towards an increase in service sustainability. Several benchmarking techniques have been proposed to process and predict performance indicators. Instead, some meaningful statistical techniques based on the distance of data samples, which overcome the limitations of the traditional benchmarking techniques, have never been applied to the collective irrigation sector. This study applies Permutational Multivariate Analysis of Variance (PERMANOVA), Multidimensional Scale Models (MDS), and Distance-Based Linear Models (DISTLM) as benchmarking techniques to evaluate the technical and financial performances of 10 WUAs in Calabria (Southern Italy). These benchmarking techniques revealed that the significant differences in the irrigated areas and financial self-sufficiency of the WUAs, shown by PERMANOVA, depend on the large variability of the remaining performance indicators. Both the MDS and DISTLM demonstrated that a higher number of associated users and larger irrigation service coverage allows an increase in the irrigated areas; this enlargement is facilitated if the water price and the size of the personnel staff decrease. The WUAs’ self-sufficiency is mainly influenced by the number of workers and the maintenance, organization, and management costs, while the impacts of the due service fees and water price are more limited; it is also convenient to increase the number of the associated farmers since this increases the economy of scale and the gross revenues of the irrigation service. Overall, from the analysis carried out for the regional case study, these benchmarking techniques seem to be powerful and easy tools to identify the problems of the irrigation service and help in planning the most suitable policies to improve the sustainability of the collective irrigation at the regional scale. Full article

Irrigated agriculture, particularly small-scale irrigation (SSI), is a mainstay for sustainable livelihoods in the developing world. In Ethiopia, SSI sustainability is threatened mainly due to excessive sedimentation. Stakeholders’ perceptions of the causes of sedimentation and how they sustain SSI under excessive sedimentation conditions were investigated in two SSI schemes in Ethiopia. A participatory rapid diagnosis and action planning was implemented, consisting of a literature review, participatory rural appraisal, and semi-structured interviews. Results show that farmers slightly differed in perception of excessive sedimentation drivers. Farmers reported design problems as the main cause of excessive sedimentation (64%), followed by poor operation and maintenance (O and M) practices (21%) and external factors (15%). In contrast, 62% of the interviewed engineers indicated erosion and irrigation technologies as the main causes of excessive sedimentation, while few reported poor design (13%). In addition to an intensive desilting campaign, farmers delayed the start of the irrigation season to avoid the intake of highly sedimented water. Local social capital and knowledge appeared to be more important than formal knowledge and blue-print institutions for dealing with sedimentation problems. Well-organized structure and extra time devoted by famers were vital for SSI sustainability. Integration of the farmers’ knowledge with that of the engineers could yield more effective ways to deal with sedimentation problems. Full article